The project aim is to foster and accelerate development and use of biomass in North West Europe. to facilitate the sustainable achievement of 2020 energy objectives. and to make EU a world-class centre for Biomass utilisation. This will be conducted in an innovative and sustainable approach across NWE to developing energy from biomass. It involves organisations from UK. Ireland. Germany. Luxembourg. Netherlands and Belgium. along with observers from France and Switzerland. NWE currently has a strong reliance on imported energy. offering clear potential for greater biomass utilisation. However. municipalities and regions across the NWE are facing common challenges of how they can reduce waste going to landfill and meet energy demands through biomass. Some NWE countries are sharing biomass potential and expertise. but at present this activity is neither co-ordinated nor matched with commercial exploitation. The project will provide useful intelligence to address where transnational cooperation may help to address individual country supply and demand issues around biomass. Innovative pilot projects will inform implementation of biomass energy transformation solutions. Therefore. the project will help to reach the achievement of targets set in National Renewable Energy Action Plans for renewable energy by 2020.These could result in a 34% increase by 2015 and a 69% increase by 2020 but only if there are substantial improvements in the supply chain. ARBOR will encompass natural resources management. site energy efficiency management and enhancement of the natural environment. This project will be delivered by an established cross sector partnership. with representatives from public authorities. private sector. research institutes and private sector intermediaries to ensure consideration of the whole biomass life cycle. Achievements: ARBOR has focused on the sourcing of biomass, improving conversion efficiencies and improving regional capacities for biomass utilisation. A number of regional pilots and investments have also been implemented to test, demonstrate and develop biomass use.Improving the sourcing of biomass materials in NWE – this work stream has been delivering results through the implementation of pilots, report publications, seminars and workshops, which include: - Production of a benchmark report for an up to date overview of biomass for energy in NWE. - Testing of Brussels sprout, leek and corn spindles in various anaerobic digestion plants to determine their biogas yield potential with variations to the various delivery and pre-treatment techniques. - Tests have been carried to investigate the potiential for collection of roadside grass for use in an anaerobic digestion unit. - A 130kW woodchip boiler has been installed by one of the partners - the fuel for this boiler will eventually be sourced by the municipality’s own sources of biomass in order to establish a closed loop biomass cycle. - A synergy park was launched within one of the regions to explore the potential of exchanging biomass in the region. - Tests have been carried out on soil samples and short rotation coppice grown on contaminated land as part of heavy metal extraction.Improving the efficiency of biomass conversion technologies – this work stream focuses on the implementation of investments, workshops, seminars and training courses. Some of the results to date include: - A database of manufacturers of biomass conversion technologies, suppliers of biomass and related equipment in the UK. - Fuel quality tests have been carried out for several partners with different fuel types based on their pilots (e.g. manure, digestate, miscanthus, hay, short-rotation coppice). - A number of academic papers and presentations have been produced on nutrient recovery, while a market study is looking at the potential for agricultural and industrial marketing. A number of articles have also been published in local newspapers and a radio interview presented on the subject. Improving regional capacities for biomass utilisation in NWE – this work package is looking at the life cycles and economic assessments for the pilots. Some of the results to date include: - A review on feed-in tariffs for electricity across several European countries as well as the legal framework governing these subsidies. - Several scenarios about grass cutting with organic waste for energy purposes have been analysed. Additionally several scenarios for sewage sludge have been defined with relevant stakeholders with particular interest on comparing centralised versus de-centralised thermal utilisation in the region. - Macro and micro economic assessments have been carried out at same time as the investigation of the various life cycle assessment scenarios.